about horton awards

Each year, the Dance Resource Center presents the Lester Horton Dance Awards - an evening devoted to celebrating the Southern California's dance community and those who keep it thriving. The Horton Awards recognize Southern California-based professionals who enlighten our dance community in a pleathora of ways. From performers, to writers, choreographers to photographers, we strive to recognize the best of the best the dance community has to offer each year.

In November 2007, the membership of the Dance Resource Center voted overwhelmingly to try a new 2-step process for selecting the Horton Awards.

Step 1: Membership Nominates

In November 2008, the list of Horton Award categories will be published in the Dancezine, the Dance News, and on the DRC website. Members will have until December 31, 2008 to submit requests for consideration in each category to the Horton Voting Committee.

All submissions will be gathered into a Nomination Ballot, which will be sent to the full membership of the Dance Resource Center as of January 31, 2009. The artists who receive the most membership votes in each category will then be checked for such eligibility factors as Los Angeles Area residency. Those who pass the eligibility requirements will be declared the Horton Award Nominees for 2008, and their names will be published by the DRC. At that time, the DRC will request a DVD or videotape of each nominated production for use by the Special Jury.

Step 2: Special Jury Votes

The Special Jury will review the DVDs of the Nominees and select the winner in each category to be announced at next year's Horton Event.

Throughout 2008, the Horton Voting Committee will be taking recommendations for participants in the Special Jury. Those wishing to be considered for inclusion in the Special Jury will be asked to submit resumes. Jury members must belong to the Dance Resource Center and cannot be Nominees or closely related personally or professionally to Nominees. Therefore only after the Nominees have been determined can the Horton Voting Committee select a Special Jury from the pool of eligible applicants.

We Need Your Help

The Horton Voting Committee will be spending the next six months putting the new system into place and we need to hear from you. If you have ideas on what awards should be given, recommendations for Special Jury participants or any other aspect of the new Horton Awards voting process, we ask you to take the time to email us your thoughts under the heading "New Horton Process" to hvc@drc-la.org.